The Musical Spirituality and Russian Virtuosos in Athens

A recital by soloists of the St Petersburg Music House in Athens

On December 14 and 15, chamber concerts of the Embassy of Musical Mastery will be held in Athens. The soloists of the St. Petersburg Music House — laureates of international competitions Danila Vladyko (cello), Timofey Dolya (piano), Vitaly Petrov (piano), Anna Savkina (violin), Petr Khudonogov (flute) and Vladislav Shcherbakov (trombone) will perform a kaleidoscope of musical masterpiece miniatures. The recital will be part of the «Days of Spiritual Culture of Russia in Greece», supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The core programme in both nights will include music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Alyabyev and Mikhail Pletnev, which is profound and poetic, always attracting listeners and orchestrators all over the world. The Russian composition tradition has made its way into the Russian performance school, whose tonal expressiveness and virtuosity can also be perceived in the performances of European composers' pieces. The St. Petersburg Music House soloists are the Ambassadors of Musical Mastery of Russia.

Danila Vladyko (cello), 20, a student at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservaroty (class of Professor Alexei Seleznyov, Honoured Artist of Russia, currently with Honoured Artist of Russia Alexander Knyazev). He is laureate of the International Summer Festival and Competition in Moscow; laureate of the All-Russian Competition «Constellation» at Sirius Center in Sochi. He takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2019.

Timofey Dolya (piano), 28, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (class of Honoured Artist of Russia, Professor Andrey Pisarev), also an Assistant Trainee in the class of the same professor. He won the All-Russian Music Competition in Moscow. He is a prize-winner at the City of Vigo International Online Piano Competition in Spain. He won the Grand Prix in the International Piano Competition named after Rudolf Kehrer in Moscow. He takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2017.

Vitaly Petrov (piano), 18, a student at the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (class of Honoured Artist of Russia, Professor Alexander Sandler). He won the Sviatoslav Richter International Online Piano Competition in South Korea. He holds the 2nd Prize and Special Prize from the International Piano Competition in San Jose (USA). He takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2020.

Anna Savkina (violin) is a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (class of People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Vladimir Ivanov). She is a laureate and winner of the Audience Award at the Sendai International Music Competition in Japan and winner of the Buchenau Spring International Music Competition in Hessen, Germany. She takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2019.

Petr Khudonogov (flute), 22, a student at the Hvorostovsky Siberian State Institute of Arts in the class of Honored Artist of Russia, Associate Professor Anatoly Ivanov. He won the Vienna International Music Competition (Austria). He is a prize-winner of the Manhattan International Music Competition (USA); he won the International Flute Competition by the European Music Academy in Varna, Bulgaria. He won the International Anton Rubinstein Woodwind Online Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany. He takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2018.

Vladislav Shcherbakov (trombone), 20, a student at the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (class of tutor Alexey Lobikov). He is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg State Academic Cappella. He won the RE-LIGO International Competition for Performers of Sacred Music in St. Petersburg. He won the International competition «World Harmony» in Baku, Azerbaijan. He is a prize-winner of the St. Petersburg Open Wind and Percussion Competition. He takes part in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2018.

The St. Petersburg Music House project «The Embassy of Musical Mastery» is known from 2012 and covers both the Russia regions and different countries across the world. It includes the visiting sessions of master-classes of the leading musicians in the six Russian regions and tours of the successful young soloists in the Russia Centers of Science and Culture abroad.

The St Petersburg Music House is a federal institution of culture, established in 2006 for the purpose of preparing Russian young musicians for international competitions and festivals. It occupies the Palace of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich on Moika, 122.

The artistic director is the famous cellist, People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Sergei Roldugin.

About the program:

The recital programmes are similar and only slightly different in the first part.

The recital on December 14 at the Serafio Community Complex will open with Sonata for flute and basso continuo by G.P. Telemann, one of the greatest composers of the Classicism, arranged for trombone and piano. The tuneful score by the German composer pushes the audience into a ballroom mood. It will be followed by Tchaikovsky’s famous Pezzo Capriccioso for cello and piano. This music will astonish you with its rich diversity of interpretations of the unpretentious main theme. Afterwards, the audience will hear tunes from Orpheus and Eurydice by C.W. von Gluck, a unique piece that marked the beginning of the composer’s opera reforms. Music will merge with drama and take the audience back to ancient times, to the love story of the heroes of ancient Greece — the legendary singer Orpheus and his beloved Eurydice. The sublime spirit is further fostered by the next work, Prelude and Allegro for Bass Trombone and Piano by the French composer E. Bozza, followed by the extremely challenging Caprice No. 24 for solo violin by mysterious Paganini. The first chapter will close with parts of Pletnev’s colourful Concert Suite from Tchaikovsky’s truly New Year’s Eve ballet, The Nutcracker.

The recital at the Russian House in Athens will begin with the rare Concerto No. 1 for bass trombone by Soviet composer Lebedev. It will be followed by Tchaikovsky’s lyrical Nocturne for Cello and Piano, a masterpiece that depicts images of Russian nature and conveys the composer’s heartfelt love for his motherland. Tchaikovsky’s aria from the opera Eugene Onegin, a consummate example of a lyrical opera in which Pushkin’s poetry blends harmoniously with the beautiful music, will be performed next. For a while, the audience will be taken to France to hear the Prelude and Allegro for Bass Trombone and Piano by the French composer E. Bozza. Then, more of Tchaikovsky’s music will be is offered: a festive and melodious Waltz Scherzo for violin and piano and Pletnev’s fabulous Concert Suite from The Nutcracker.

The second chapter in both recitals will feature soul-stirring Rachmaninoff Vocalise for cello and piano. Typical church chant sounds will take listeners from warm Greece to the composer’s snow-covered homeland Russia. The next piece, Alyabyev’s romance Nightingale, arranged for flute and piano — a piece that was written in prison — is also associated with freedom and the vast expanses of the Russian land. The programme ends with the mysterious 3 Old Viennese Dances for violin and piano by F. Kreisler — hoaxes, allegedly belonging to the 19th century French composer Joseph Lanner. There will also be the graceful Chinese dance and the romantic Andante maestoso from Pletnev’s Concert Suite from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker.

For more details:

call +210 3426842 (Serafio), +30 21 0677 8389 (Russian House in Athens)

or visit us http://www.serafio.gr /, rwp.agency /